Danielle's Mystery
by TheBarrelRacer
Summary: Winnie's and Catman's 2nd daughter, Danielle, happens upon a mystery without meaning to. On top of getting to the bottom of it, Megan, a girl from school, keeps nagging her. What does she really want?


_Danni, on her beautiful bay horse Gypsy, burn around a barrel, headed for the next one. The tall …okay, short, dark haired girl and her horse moving as one. They're around the second one, they head for the last barrel, and they're around it! They stride for the alley, 15.5 seconds. The crowd goes crazy! _

Clapping brought me back to reality. My twin sister, Beth, leaned against the fence rail. Her full name, Elisabeth, she barely ever goes by. We're alike in some ways, we both have long names. Mine is Danielle, but I just go by Dani.

"Hey Danni, good run! Do you mind if I ride with you?" she asked. "I'd like to try Lee 'round the poles a couple times."

My sister has a sorrel mare named Lexie Lee, and we both do barrels, but she is picking up poles now too.

"Sure, maybe we can go on a trail ride later." I answered

"Sorry Dan, but I can't! I'm going to Courtney's house to help make her clothes, Remember?"

"Oh, yeah." I recalled. My sister is really popular at School, I'm not. I'd be surprised if anyone can tell that were related, much less twins.

When Beth came out riding Lee in her show saddle, fancy attire, and her bridle she looked like a famous rider. I, on the other hand, was riding bareback with a snaffle. When she rode over next to me, we looked like a black-and-white contrast.

"Uh Beth, why the fancy clothes?" I asked.

"I dunno, I guess I just thought it would be fun to wear them" my sister replied.

"Oh." I said as I backed Gypsy up and headed off on my trail ride.

~ 8 ~

I thought that if every day was like this, that my world would be just perfect. The tree's and grass whizzing on past as my horse and I cantered on the country road. It leads up to an old cottage that had been abandoned for years.

Suddenly, a boy on his bike rounded the corner in front of me; his face paled is we raced toward him. I sat back and pulled on the reins, Gypsy slammed on the brakes and slide like a reining horse. Closer, closer, and closer, I shut my eyes and expected to hit him at any minute, but I didn't.

When I opened my eyes, I saw a boy around 14 years old slowly regaining the idea that he was alive.

"Wow," I said. "You gotta be careful! I almost trampled ya!"

"Uh, yeah …sure. Well, what are _you_ doing here?"

"I live awhile that way, and I came out here for a ride!"

"Hey Chad, Wait up!" Another teenager peddling up behind him. When he saw me his face turned into a scowl.

"Who are _you_!" he said.

"I almost got run-over by this person." Chad said as he glared at me.

The boy stopped next to "Chad" and I rode off, I don't stick around when people aren't very friendly.

When I got a ways down the road, I started to wonder, what were they doing down here? I mean, there's nothing down here that would be interesting to some boys. Maybe they were just going for a bike ride and decided to come this way. I thought that was the end of it, but it wasn't.

~ 8 ~

I rode into my pasture just as the sun was beginning to sink below the mountains on the horizon that stretched across Colorado. My Dad jogged from the house to the barn. He always used to wear clothes that they wore in the 80's, but he gave them up at Beth's persisting complaints about them.

"Hey Dad!" I called.

"Yo, Danni girl, somebody rang for you" he said

"For me? Who was it?" I asked, nobody calls me, except my Grandma Coolidge on my birthday.

" Megan, Sounded urgent," He paused. "She wanted you to ring her at her pad."

Megan is a girl in the "In" herd, and the dominant mare is Gabriella. The snottiest girl in the School. Her equally mean followers are Abby, Megan, Heather, Janet, and Libby. They all tried their best to humiliate me anytime they see the chance. I wonder why Megan needed me.

"Did she say what she wanted?" I asked.

"She did say something about a Barrel Competition."

"What?" I said, a little louder than I wanted to. She probably just wanted some more ammunition to make fun of me.

He raised one of his eyebrows.

"Okay, I'll call her."

"Far out! Number's on the fridge." he said, turned on his heel and headed toward the house.

After I had turned out Gypsy, I trudged up to the house. I entered the kitchen and slowly walked up to the fridge. There it was, the phone number, right on the fridge. I picked up the sticky-note, and walked over to the phone. _It's not that bad, just call and see what she wants!_

Before I could stop myself, I quickly dialed her number and waited.

"Hello." a voice on the other end said.

"Uh…" My mind raced.

"Hello? Hello!"

"Hi, this is Danni Coolidge could I talk to Megan?"

"Sure," the phone clunked, and a heard some girls screaming on the other end. _I knew it, everybody is there for the big laugh. _The phone clunked again.

"Hi Danielle." I heard Megan's shrill voice, which was the opposite of my ever-changing one. "Why are you calling, got tired of Horses?" she laughed her mean giggle.

"No, you called us!" I said.

"ME, call _you! _You've got to be joking!" I heard squeals of laughter on the other end. _ I knew it!_

I hung up, not wanting to hear anymore of her sickening giggles.

My mom walked into the kitchen.

"Hey Dan, what's up?" she said in her low voice. Most people, including her, think it's annoying, but I like it, and it sounds a lot better than mine.

"It's Megan, she is so mean!"

"Megan huh," she said, and I nodded my head. "Do you remember Victoria Hawkins?"

"Yes, you told me all about her."

She nodded and continued "She used to be in the popular herd in school when I went there."

"They did, well how come she ain't mean to you?"

"She wanted to be friends with me instead, I guess."

"Do you think that Megan wants to be friends with me?"

"I don't know, maybe? Just be patient."

The phone rang, and mom answered it.

"Coolidge residence …..Oh….. Yes, I understand… yes sir."

"What's the matter mom?" I asked

"Just the office, I forgot I had an appointment tomorrow.

I picked up one of the hundreds of cats that are around our place.

.

I headed back out to the barn to hang out with the horses. When I got there, I heard a nicker that I knew could only belong to Nickers, my mother's horse. This was her horse that she had gentled when she was only 12. Nickers took off at a gallop, white tail and head up high. Gypsy obviously was jealous about the attention and cantered around with her tail high too.

They were so gorgeous that my breath caught. I heard a car drive up, and the door open and slam. I walked over to the door way and watched my sister wave and run into the house. As the door opened I heard, "Beth! You're home!" then the door slammed shut.

Mom and Dad have such a good life, nice family too. There's Grandparents Bart and Claire Coolidge, and Grandparents Jack and Madeline Willis. I really like Aunt Lizzy, she is always running around with a lizard or spider with her, and she makes the BEST food.

"Danni, time for supper!" my mom called out the window.

"Coming Mom!" I hollered back. I glanced back toward the pasture and saw all of the horses grazing peacefully. Then I trudged toward the house.

That night, I thought again about those boys. What WHERE they doing? They looked pretty angry, not like they had been out on a bike ride. Were they run-away's? Hiding up at the old McHuster Cottage? Maybe that was it; boys ARE interested in old houses…weren't they?

Like I know anything about the opposite gender, except my dad and Grandad.

Suddenly, A thought came to me! My dad knew a lot about stuff, he's like a walking dictionary who speaks normal. I'd ask him in the morning.

With that thought in my mind, I snuggled under my covers and fell asleep.


End file.
